Why I Stay Away From Political Songs

People ask me from time to time why I don’t write political songs. The answer is pretty simple: I didn’t get into music to tell people how to vote.

Country music has always been about people first. It’s about working hard, falling in love, losing someone, raising kids, surviving hard times, finding faith, and trying to make sense of life. Those are things almost everyone can relate to, regardless of which box they check on Election Day.

The moment a songwriter turns every song into a political speech, something changes. Half the audience stops listening before the first chorus is over. They don’t hear the melody, the story, or the emotion anymore. They hear a campaign ad.

From where I sit, that’s a tough way to build a long career.

Politics changes every few years. A great song can last for generations.

Johnny Cash still moves people. Willie Nelson still moves people. Merle Haggard, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, and so many others wrote songs about life. Yes, some touched on political or social issues when they felt it mattered, but they weren’t trying to turn every album into a debate stage. Their music was bigger than the headlines of the day.

Today’s news cycle moves at lightning speed. The issue everyone argues about this week may be forgotten next month. But a song about heartbreak, hope, regret, redemption, or family still means something fifty years later.

As a songwriter, I’d rather chase timeless than trendy.

That doesn’t mean artists shouldn’t express themselves. Every songwriter has the right to write whatever is in their heart. If politics is what inspires them, that’s their choice, and I respect that.

It’s just not the road I want to travel.

I’d rather write about the old man fishing from his front porch, the broken-hearted woman trying to start over, the dreamer chasing one more song, or the outlaw trying to find a little redemption before it’s too late. Those stories belong to everybody.

Music has a way of bringing people together. Politics often does the opposite.

If someone who votes differently than I do can still hear one of my songs and say, “I know exactly how that feels,” then the music has done its job.

Maybe that’s old-fashioned.

Maybe that’s outlaw country.

Either way, that’s the kind of songwriter I want to be.

— Elvis Nash